Sports

2010 Nations Cup: Can Angola Maintain Host Countries’ Tradition?

Published

16 years ago

January 10, 2010

Goal.com’s James Momanyi looks at the chances of host nation Angola in the forthcoming 2010 African Cup of Nations.

Since the first African Cup of Nations tournament was held in Sudan in 1957, host countries have failed to reach at least the semi-finals on only four occasions. In 1976, hosts Ethiopia were eliminated and knocked out in the first of two group stages. Morocco were the eventual winners after humbling Guinea in the final game. Nigeria and Egypt were the other semi-finalists.

In 1984, 1992 and 1994 the host countries again failed to make the last four. In the 26 previous stagings, the hosts have won the tournament 11 times, whilst two further home sides have been beaten finalists.

This impressive performance by the host countries begs the question; how far will this year’s hosts, Angola, go in the tournament which kicks off next Sunday? The Palancas Negras’ (Black Antelopes) past history in international tournaments can partly answer the question. They have qualified once for the World Cup, in 2006, but didn’t make it past the group stage. They have qualified four times for the continent’s premier tournament, but have never advanced beyond the quarter-final spot they achieved in the last tournament in Ghana.

If their performance at the continental or world football stage is a consideration, then Angola has a mountain to climb before making any historical imprint by the end of the 2010 CAN competition. Apart from shutting Nigeria out in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, the Black Antelopes have been too inconsistent to warrant a place as one of the continent’s elite football teams alongside the likes of Egypt, Cameroon or Nigeria.

Nonetheless, Angola appears ready to spring a surprise in the 27th edition of the games. After being confirmed as the 2010 host, Angola, which had just emerged from a debilitating 27-year civil war, immediately hit the preparation road. Whilst other teams were sweating hard to qualify for the finals, Angola got an automatic qualification and started earlier preparations in earnest by playing in a number of friendlies. They took on both African teams and others from outside the continent, posting some reasonable results on the way.

They beat Togo 2-0 and drew with superior teams like Ghana, Senegal and Cameroon in a string of remarkable performances. On Wednesday, before the Sunday tournament kick-off against Mali, the team will play Estonia in a warm-up friendly on the Portuguese Algarve. With the expected massive home support, Palancas Negras couldn’t have dreamt for a better time to stamp their authority on the continental stage than now.

Already their main Group A opponents Algeria have shown signs of nerves, with claims that the Black Antelopes will reach to the quarters coming out of three game even before a ball has been kicked. Retired Algerian international midfielder Rabah Madjer has predicted that, as the host, Angola will start the tournament in the quarter-finals. “Angola are going to benefit from everyone’s support. Their people and their leaders, even CAF officials, won’t accept a precocious exit of the hosts. Everything will be done so that Angola will get through the group stage,” the veteran reasoned.

The anticipated multi-faceted support notwithstanding, Angola have a squad that can get the job done. Benfica’s Pedro Mantorras is one of the best strikers in the Portuguese league, former Manchester United forward Manucho, who now turns out for Real Valladolid in Spain, is as lethal as the Drogbas or Eto’os of African football. In the rearguard, Dias Caires of Sagrada Esperanca, Jamuana of Petro Atletico and Rui Marques of Leeds United will be expected to hold tight in the defence while Petro Atletico’s Davids, Al Ahli’s Gilberto and Ze Kalanga of Dinamo Bucharest may not be household names, but can close the midfield for opponents whenever duty calls.

When the draw was announced last month, Angola’s coach Manuel Jose told Al Jazeera Sport, “I am satisfied with the draw. It is a balanced group. It will not be easy. All our adversaries are known to be combative. Algeria are with us, and they are doing well currently. Mali will be a difficult competitor. We will try to get one of the first two places to qualify.” Algeria, Mali and Angola are billed as the top contenders for the two places available for qualification to the last eight. The coach may have failed to mention Malawi; but The Flames, who are the group lightweights, may well spring a surprise.

Angola’s opening match against Mali will define their group standing. A win will give them great momentum when they face Malawi in the second match, when a second victory would then guarantee them qualification to the quarters. Achieving this feat doesn’t look too difficult. The Black Antelopes will meet their waterloo at the knockout stage where, depending on the group standings, they will either meet Ivory Coast or Ghana (if they manage to elbow Togo and Burkina Faso, as anticipated). If they manage to jump this elephantine quarter-final obstacle, Angola will likely face Cameroon, Nigeria, Egypt or Tunisia in the semi-finals.

With the World Cup just around the corner, so much is at stake for five teams taking part in the Angola tournament, who will carry the African flag in South Africa together with the host. For players, it will be an opportunity to prove why they should be on a plane heading to South Africa in June. As for the other teams, it will be a chance to build their stature ahead of the global bonanza, and cultivate fear within their opponents.

The pride of being crowned 2010 African champions will bolster the continental elites Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt and Ivory Coast to ride roughshod over emerging sides like Mali, Gabon and hosts Angola. But these smaller footballing nations are dreaming of upsetting the apple-cart.

As for underdogs like Benin, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Togo, Zambia and Malawi; the obituary books are already out of the closet.

Sports

NDG: Rivers Coach Appeal To NDDC In Talent Discovery

Published

4 hours ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Chess coach Nnamso Umoren has appealed to relevant authorities, most especially the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to provide funds for scouting of hidden talents at the grassroots.

He stated that lack of funds is hindering most coaches from doing what they are expected to do; hence, they don’t have enough money to travel to rural areas to discover talents.

Umoren made the appeal in an exclusive interview with Tidesports yesterday, in Benin, Edo State, shortly after the second edition of the Niger Delta Games drew her curtains closed.

According to him, without coaches no athlete can perform better, as coaches are the ones that teach athletes the techniques and rudiments of every sport.

“I appeal to the commission to support the coaches with funds to enable them to go to the areas and discover talents. Lack of funds for coaches limits the extent to which they can move around within the state in search of talents.

“I am of the general opinion that without coaches, athletes cannot perform better; hence, the coaches teach them the rudiments of the sports,” Umoren said.

The Chess coach called on the Rivers State government to organise tournaments in the State to know the strength of athletes discovered, saying that will improve sporting activities in the State.

However, he commends NDDC, who are the major sponsors of NDG, and Dumamis Icon Limited for close to perfect organisation.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Rivers Sports Director Rates Niger Delta Games High

Published

5 hours ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Director of Sports, Obia Inyingikabo has that the just concluded second edition of the Niger Delta Games, held in Benin, Edo State, was very impressive and well organised.

She commended both the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Dumamis Icon Limited for the sponsorship and organisation respectively.

According to her, the problem of the team was the epileptic situation of shuttle buses, which was not under the direct control of the sports council.

Inyingikabo said this in a telephone interview with Tidesports yesterday; she confirmed that apart from the poor transport system for athletes, every arrangement went successfully as planned.

The director praised her athletes for making the State proud by winning gold, silver, and bronze medals during the games. She assured the people of Rivers State that in the next edition they will perform better and also used the opportunity to commend Rivers State promoting sports in the State.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Treat Bees, Silkworms As Valuable Resources – Don

Published

5 hours ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

A Professor of Applied Entomology and Pest Management, at the Federal University of Technology Akure,(FUTA), Olufunmilayo Oladipo, has said insects such as bees ,houseflies silkworms and similar species should be seen and treated as valuable resources whose careful management could enhance food security, generate income, support industrial applications, and contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economic diversification.

Prof. Oladipo made the remark while delivering the 193rd Inaugural Lecture of the institution on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.

Citing the honeybee as a prime example, Oladipo noted that beyond honey production, bees provide beeswax, royal jelly, propolis and venom used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, while their pollination services significantly increase crop yields and biodiversity.

She also referenced silkworms, whose silk supports textile industries and export earnings, as well as black soldier flies and houseflies, locusts, grasshoppers, mealworms and crickets which are increasingly used in the production of high-protein livestock and aquaculture feeds, thereby reducing dependence on expensive imported feed ingredients.

Speaking on the topic, “Six-Legged Arthropods: Food Security, Health and National Economic Development,” Professor Oladipo highlighted the multiple contributions of insects to national development in a monolithic economy like Nigeria, where over-dependence on crude oil has limited diversification.

She pointed out that insects serve as food for humans and feed for livestock, provide income for households through apiculture, sericulture, and insect-based enterprises, and supply raw materials for pharmaceutical and industrial uses. Beneficial insects also enhance food security through nutrient recycling, biological control of harmful species and weeds, and pollination of crops and horticultural plants, resulting in bumper harvests and increased biodiversity.

Professor Oladipo further mentioned termites and dung beetles for their role in nutrient recycling and soil aeration, improving soil fertility and agricultural productivity. Ladybird beetles and parasitic wasps, she explained, serve as natural biological control agents, reducing populations of destructive pests without harming the environment.

In the area of public health, Oladipo declared that though “the economic toll of insect vectors is staggering, stretching from the household to national economy, thereby undermining productivity, draining family resources, and constraining national growth, certain insects negatively affect agriculture, public health, and livelihoods”.

The professor pointed to the importance of understanding mosquitoes and other disease vectors such as tsetse flies, whose management is critical in combating malaria, yellow fever, dengue, sleeping sickness and other vector-borne diseases that weaken workforce productivity and strain national resources.

She cited data showing that malaria alone costs Africa over 12 billion dollars annually in healthcare expenditures, lost productivity, and reduced investment. Beyond mortality, she emphasized, insect-borne diseases also contribute to morbidity, chronic disability, and reduced workforce efficiency, imposing heavy burdens on families, health systems, and national economies.

She referenced maggot therapy, currently practiced in teaching hospitals in Kano, as a safe and effective treatment for chronic diabetic wounds adding that bioactive compounds from fungus-insect complexes such as Bombyx batryticatus and Beauveria bassiana, which have been developed into medicines with anticonvulsant, anticancer, antifungal, anticoagulant, and hypolipidemic properties.

Weaver ants, bee venom, and cantharidin from blister beetles, she stated, also possess therapeutic value, including immune-boosting, anti-diabetic, anti-arthritic, and antiviral applications. She maintained that strategic government investment in entomotherapy could strengthen healthcare delivery, reduce pharmaceutical import dependence, save lives, and support national economic diversification.

According to her, these examples demonstrate that insects are not merely pests to be eradicated but strategic biological assets that, if properly managed, can enhance food security, strengthen public health systems, generate employment, and support Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.

The Agric expert noted however, that certain pest species continue to pose threats to agriculture and public health, thereby negatively affecting economic growth. She stressed that proper management, rather than indiscriminate eradication, is key to maximizing the benefits of these six-legged resources.

Professor Oladipo advocated integrated pest management strategies that prioritize environmentally friendly approaches, including botanicals, pheromones, biological control agents, growth regulators, and semiochemicals, while minimizing the use of broad-spectrum synthetic insecticides.

She warned that excessive reliance on chemicals has resulted in resistance, environmental pollution, and harm to non-target organisms. She also called for stricter regulation of pesticide importation and usage under professional supervision, and for stronger surveillance by regulatory authorities to prevent the introduction of exotic pest species.

To strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in entomology, she urged the government to support insect rearing and the conservation of beneficial species and to establish more Departments of Entomology in universities.

On the benefits of insects, she stressed the need for shifting societal perceptions and promoting sustainable practices, calling for stronger linkages between universities and industries to translate research findings into practical applications and commercial opportunities.

Professor Oladipo further appealed for increased funding for research and for targeted support for brilliant but indigent students in science-based disciplines, emphasizing that nurturing the next generation of entomologists and agricultural scientists is critical for national development.

Presenting the inaugural lecturer, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji, FAS, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Development), Professor Sunday Oluyamo, described Professor Oladipo as a distinguished scholar whose research has significantly advanced the field of entomology and strengthened FUTA’s academic and research profile.

The Vice Chancellor who described the lecture as ‘timely’, given Nigeria’s challenges in food security, public health, and economic diversification, commended the inaugural lecturer’s scholarly depth, resilience, and dedication to mentoring students, reaffirming FUTA’s commitment to research that addresses pressing national development priorities.